Introduction
Poor quality of healthcare delivery and incompetence due to lack of innovativeness and inconsistent processes put the healthcare system at risk and endanger the patient. Investing in information technology has the potential to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery (Joseph et al., 2018). However, failure may arise even after technological integration due to incompetence of the human factor. The management should also be able to predict whether the new computerization will be effective. The objective of this paper is to exemplify the case of Mabel in explaining innovative systems and distribution of technology to improve quality in healthcare delivery and achieve patient safety.
Failure of Technology During Mabel’s Hospital Stay
First, Mabel’s comparison of her recent visit with the one she had fifteen years ago shows that there was an overall decrease in quality of care, as is apparent in her dissatisfaction. Increased hospital stay is one of the complaints that this geriatric patient had. Next, she was not able to receive her prescription on time because the pharmacy was closed overnight. The other complaint was that she has not received any mailed bill yet. The reason for the delay is the shut-down of the computer system for maintenance. Moreover, Mabel was given access instructions for an online portal, however, the link was faulty, and the passwords and usernames were missing.
Most of the failures were contributed by the technology which the hospital had adopted. Ironically, most healthcare organizations often invest in computerized care to enhance efficiency in matters of “medication safety and health information technology” (Carayon et al., 2018, p. 1863). In this case, the link for the patient to access information was not working. Moreover, there was a sudden computer breakdown for maintenance which occurred while the patient was still making inquiries. The other failure is connected to human error because she did not receive the password as promised. The electronic medical records also failed to provide up-to-date data on the date that the patient should be discharged leading to an increased hospital stay.
Recommended Innovative Technologies and Evaluation
There are many technological innovations that can improve healthcare deliveries while at the same time enhancing the quality of care. Electronic health records (EHR), computerized collection of daily processes, and telemedicine are some of the strategies that hospitals are using to enhance their competitiveness. According to Roberto and Morea (2020), the focus on the digitalization of the healthcare delivery system is enhancing stakeholder relationships to achieve patient-centered sustainability and satisfaction. Notably, it is vital for any computerized system to be evaluated so that the healthcare organization can know if it is viable.
Various strategies exist for assessing whether a specific innovation meets its intended purpose, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches, which collect data through pre-test and post-tests, surveys and interviews, and observation. If the testing process involves human subjects, it is essential to get approval from the Institutional Review Board (Gleason et al., 2019). The method chosen to gauge the effectiveness of the system should be valid and reliable. The two recommended technologies for this healthcare are as follows:
Comprehensive HB-HTA Decision Framework
The comprehensive Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA) is a framework for making decisions that assist in making policy decisions and reviews on medical technologies before their adoption. The system works through Smart Innovations in which the hospital management, clinicians, and available finances are integrated into selecting medical technology (Landaas et al., 2020). This recommendation is relevant in the current decision because it appears that most of the systems failed, causing Mabel’s dissatisfaction. The HB-HTA will ensure that only the technologies with the potential to improve healthcare delivery are integrated into the hospital system. To evaluate this innovation, the hospital records will be used to see if there are improvements in financial expenditure. In addition, interviews with clinicians and patients on efficiency and level of satisfaction using pre-test and post-test will aid in knowing its effectiveness.
Biometric Health Smart Cards
The second recommendation is biometric health smart cards (BHSC) with the palm print of the patient. The BHSC contains vital information about the patient as a form of identification card. Moreover, biometrics helps to ensure the security and privacy of the patient. According to Nedjah et al. (2017), “biometric is considered one of the most reliable to distinguish a person from another as its unique yet stable over time” (p. 22671). The implication is that even geriatric patients like Mabel will be able to secure their health details without having to remember passwords and usernames. To evaluate this innovation, the hospital records and patient satisfaction survey can be used to show if there is an improvement in timely communication.
Literature Support
Evidence from research studies helps to build confidence in the efficacy of any digitalization in medicine. According to Landaas et al. (2020), the HB-HTA has been used successfully in a number of healthcare settings, such as the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), which started the implementation in 2006. Moreover, Finland also has a well-established BB-HTA program which resulted in better management and commitment of healthcare providers. With regards to the biometric health smart cards, findings from Nedjah et al. (2017) indicate maximum privacy and security of patients’ healthcare records. The method is also convenient for patients because they do not have to remember any credentials for verification.
References
Carayon, P., Wooldridge, A., Hose, B., Salwei, M., & Benneyan, J. (2018). Challenges and opportunities for improving patient safety through human factors and systems engineering. Health Affairs, 37(11), 1862-1869,1869A-1869C.
Gleason, K. T., VanGraafeiland, B., Commodore-Mensah, Y., Walrath, J., Immelt, S., Ray, E., & Dennison Himmelfarb, C. R. (2019). The impact of an innovative curriculum to introduce patient safety and quality improvement content. BMC Medical Education, 19.
Joseph, A., Henriksen, K., & Malone, E. (2018). The architecture of safety: An emerging priority for improving patient safety. Health Affairs, 37(11), 1884-1891.
Landaas, E. J., Baird, G. S., Hansen, R. N., Flum, D. R., & Sullivan, S. D. (2020). Integrating formal technology assessment into an integrated healthcare delivery system: Smart innovation. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 36(1), 58- 63. Web.
Nedjah, N., Wyant, R. S., & de Macedo Mourelle, L. (2017). Efficient biometric palm-print matching on smart-cards for high security and privacy. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 76(21), 22671-22701. Web.
Roberto, M. V., & Morea, D. (2020). Healthcare digitalization and pay-for-performance incentives in smart hospital project financing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2318.